Restore with Eoin Walker

In this episode, I talk with Bram Connolly. Bram is a former special forces operative with the Australian Special Forces with 20 years of experience on the frontline. Bram was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for leadership in the Australia Day awards 2012. Bram is the Managing Director and founder of Hindsight Leadership and Resilience. He is the author of "The Fighting Season" and "Off-Reservation" and the leadership book "The Commando Way" published in 2020.

In the conversation we talk about:

Resilience, leadership, values, and optimization. We explore various facets of the book 'The Commando Way' and dig into some of the 20 years of experience that taught Bram the lessons he depicts in the book. I hope you enjoy this interview with an inspirational leader. Bram also has a podcast:

https://podcast.warrioru.com.au/podcasts/

Hi book 'The Commando Way' can be found here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=the+commando+way&adgrpid=55975240794&gclid=Cj0KCQiA0-6ABhDMARIsAFVdQv-06UsRi2ZQL-Obrchizx8P0WYzCaepcjXf-70TtIPFVkJAksF7S0IaAtPbEALw_wcB&hvadid=259062984695&hvdev=c&hvlocint=9046009&hvlocphy=21468&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=11852429682160879921&hvtargid=kwd-302016437038&hydadcr=24402_1816050&tag=googhydr-21&ref=pd_sl_39q7xnnmde_e

In this episode we speak with Lloyd Evans a GP in Wales around his experiences of the second wave of the pandemic. We explore some of the fundamental issues that have led to a rise in demand and stress both within the general population and the frontline NHS staff. We explore some of the second and third order effects of the covid pandemic, together with the unintended positive aspects that it has incurred. 

I hope you enjoy this episode with an insightful and honest practitioner as it gives a rounded cross-section of accounts from the frontline of the largest health crisis that has befallen the NHS since its inception in 1948. 

In this mini-series I talk to Alec Wilding who is an Advanced Paramedic Practitioner (APP) on the frontline of the healthcare system within the UK. Alec gives me an honest and transparent perspective of life tackling the second wave of the covid pandemic and his thoughts on how it is impacting the mental and physical health of both the population and the staff.

Alec gives an honest and insightful recollection into the incremental effects of the pandemic and is the second of four accounts from the frontline - I hope you get as much out of it as I have.

In this mini-series I talk to a cross section of individuals at the frontline of the healthcare system within the UK. In this episode I speak with friend and colleague Lucy Gough. Lucy is an Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) within London. She gives me an honest and transparent perspective of life in the Emergency Control Room and her thoughts on the contemporary demand profile within the pandemic in London. 

Lucy is both honest and insightful into the unique challenges that she and colleagues face on a day-to-day basis and the overall challenge that the ambulance service faces in response to the largest health demand since the creation and inception of the NHS. 

This is the first of four accounts from the frontline - I hope you get as much out of it as I have. 

John Sullivan is a former Royal Marines Commando of nine years' experience. He has operated in some of the world's most challenging environments - Jungle, Desert and Arctic. John's passion in life is to explore with a sense of purpose. Working alone, this has taken him to some of the remotest corners of the world to research and set up factual programmes for the BBC and the National Geographic Channel. He has also led numerous life-changing conservation expeditions for young people to Namibia, Belize and Borneo.

In this episode we discuss the key fundamentals of mental health in the outdoors and from the hierarchy of survival skills which ones are key. We also discuss: 

You can find out more about John and Elite Survival training here:

http://www.elitesurvivaltraining.com

and also here:

http://www.militaryspeakers.co.uk/speakers/john-sullivan/#:~:text=John%20Sullivan%20is%20a%20former,with%20a%20sense%20of%20purpose.

Please enjoy this episode with a true legend.

There has never been a greater need or time to have meaningful and insightful conversations than in 2020. This year has been like no other and the circumstances have shaped and touched everyone lives. In this episode I look back on conversations that I’ve had for the restore podcast and pull out some of the key salient points that have really resonated with me and hopefully you over this period of time.

There has been a great diversity of guests and perspectives and I hope to have captured some of that on this episode. From spoken word poets to health psychologists, to QCs, to retired group captains, to world record breaking rowers to ex-patients of mine and also family members! This is just a snap shot of a bigger and wider conversation that I’ve had this year. The mandate of this podcast is that it would give back to you and really encourage you in this time of adversity to not only overcome but to live your best life and transcend the circumstances around us.

I look forwards to bringing you with me into 2021.

In this interview I have a conversation with Laura Penhaul. Laura was the Team Leader of the coxless crew who set two world records in January 2016. They rowed unsupported across the Pacific Ocean - 9,000 miles, taking 9 months to complete and 4 years to prepare for.

Laura previously was Lead Physiotherapist for the Paralympic Programme of British Athletics and worked at Vancouver, London and Rio Paralympic Games. Currently she is Lead Physiotherapist for the Olympic British Sailing Team.

In 2017, Laura was the Performance Manager for Mark Beaumont, where she supported him in his preparations and during his World Record achievement of cycling the World in 78 Days. Alongside this, Laura was the Performance Lead for the 'Adaptive Grand-slam', where she has supported the first ever veterans with disabilities to summit the 7 peaks and 2 poles in their performance preparation.

In this interview we examine:

I hope you enjoy the episode

In this conversation I interview Mark Fish. 

Mark is the author of an innovative therapeutic community called ‘Room to Heal’ It is a community of 80 members from 30 different countries. This community share the commonalty of suffering and torture from state and non-state actors within indigenous countries of origin. Mark has found that a shared narrative, the power of stories, a community mindset and external support from case workers has turned these affected people’s lives around for the better. This support lasts up until and beyond when refugee status is awarded.

In this interview we explore:

· Why Mark started ‘Room to heal’

· Examples of recovery from devastating circumstances and how people to open up about their experiences.

· The power of personal stories and the release when they tell their stories.

· The warning signs of cumulative stress either physically, behaviourally or emotionally.

· Techniques Mark has found most effective to create a sense of safety in the individual interacting with him?

· How you advocate and orchestrate self-care in individuals.

· Thoughts on building an on-scene relationship/rapport to de-escalate individuals – the most effective route to this in a short time frame.

· Key lessons that Room to Heal has taught Mark since 2007.

I hope you enjoy the episode with an insightful and profound guest.

https://www.roomtoheal.org

In this conversation with Jerome Fontana we explore some of the fundamental aspects of humanitarian leadership and commonalities that has helped him navigate a 22 year career throughout some of the worlds most war torn areas for the international Committee of Red Cross (ICRC).

Mr Jerome Fontana is the new Head of the ICRC delegation in Cairo. Since joining the ICRC in 1998, Mr Fontana has worked in thirteen different countries (Rwanda, India, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, China, Palestine, Bangladesh, Nepal, Lebanon, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Switzerland). Initially he worked as a protection delegate and then as a program coordinator before receiving higher responsibilities in the management of all ICRC operations and security in various countries. Mr Fontana is experienced in supporting Red Cross and Red Crescent societies and national authorities diverse humanitarian fields, including on migration topics and the promotion of international humanitarian law in their respective countries. Mr Fontana holds a master’s degree in international relations from the Geneva Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies and a business degree from the Oxford Said Business School. He is married and has three children.

In this conversation we examine:

·  What ICRC does to mitigate and foster positive mental health in these worn torn countries both amongst affected people and staff

·  Jerome's personal battles with mental health and how he navigates and fosters positive mental health in his own life. 

·  How Jerome found working as a detention delegate in some of the most hostile countries in the world.

· The importance of situational awareness both on a day-to-day local basis and a regional basis.

·  The fundamental principles of ICRC; humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality and what the interplay is between neutrality and influence with authorities or actors that may be in regions that ICRC want to work in.

·  How ‘sweating the small stuff’/attention to detail helped his day-to-day work.

·  What Jerome has learnt about leadership through your different appointments through multiple missions in war torn countries.

·  How mental fortitude and focus been imparted to Jerome and how he instils that within others.

·  The change in mindset and approach to his own mental health over the past 10 years. 

I hope you enjoy the conversation with a truly engaging and insightful guest.

In this episode I chat to Jason Fox about his new book ‘Life Under Fire’  for those of you that aren’t familiar with Jason, he is a former Royal Marine Commando and Special Forces Sergeant. Joining at 16 and serving for 20 years; Jason passed the grueling selection process for the Special Forces in 2001, serving with the Special Boat Service till 2012. Jason has planned and led operations including hostage rescue, counter terrorism, counter insurgency, maritime counter terrorism, surveillance, body guarding and counter narcotic missions. He currently features in the channel 4 program - SAS: Who Dares Wins.

The book is split into two parts, the first part the battle mind looks at his journey to a resilient life and mental approach.  The second part - Strength and Guile looks at the lessons learned from his 20 years as an operator and royal marines commando and inferred learning to the reader. Concepts we explore include: 

I hope you enjoy the episode. You can find 'Life under fire' by Penguin books here:

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1119268/life-under-fire/9781787633193.html